Enter satellite messengers, which are way more than just portable hand held devices for sending an SOS for rescue from nasty circumstances.

Satellite messengers: the details

Satellite Emergency Notification Devices (SEND) are much different from a panic button device like a Personal Locator Beacon.

The benefits of emergency satellite messenger devices for hikers include:

One-way message sending (as in "Hey, I'm fine").

Two-way
messaging, meaning you can communicate not only your where abouts with
loved ones at home, but also update them and answer questions.

The device can track you, making you visible to folks interested in your hiking progress.

It can also send an SOS message.

The battery life is reasonably long, although cold conditions will cut into battery performance.

Drawbacks of satellite messengers

These devices are not cheap. Only you can decide if the investment makes sense for your style of hiking.

You have to pay to play with a SPOT Service Plan. In other words, add a subscription fee to your hiking budget. If you're a frequent hiker, a yearly fee makes sense. If you're not, look for a monthly fee or reasonable data plan.

An unobstructed view of the sky is necessary before trying to send or receive a message. If you hike in areas where this isn't possible (deep forests or rocky canyons), the device will be useless to you.

Time lags between "send" and "receive" may occur, cutting down the effectiveness of the messages.

Messages may not send, depending on your ability to access the satellites and the strength of the signal. This creates stress in the people expecting an "all okay" message - the exact opposite of your intent. It may also give you a false sense of security.

You're going to have to do
some careful research before purchasing one of these gizmos, because not
every one of them does every thing listed above.

Decide
what's most important to you, and then buy the device that excels in
those things:

messages

tracking

rescue

Or all three.

Satellite messengers make sense when...

...you are doing a hike or backpacking trip that folks back home are not completely on board with.

One example: a solo female hiker who is navigating unfamiliar trails or going into the backcountry, with anxious nail biters back home.

Another example:

Being part of a group trip through remote areas where bear encounters, fierce weather, and challenging terrain up the risk factors of the trip.

If helicopter rescue is the only way out, you need a reliable device that can communicate with the proper authorities.

Personal note: When I consider signing up for a hiking trip being guided through remote areas, I always ask about the type of satellite messenger (or satellite phone, an expensive option that I don't recommend to individual hikers) they will be providing.

You should, too!

Tip: Joining a guided group makes you eligible for trip insurance, meaning that the cost of helicopter evacuation may be covered. Look into it!

Which device? Recommendations

Here's a lightweight, easy to use device which can be motion activated or set on continuous usage as you hike:

Benefits to using this satellite messenger device:

It's easy to use.
That's worth its weight in gold, because if you are befuddled by the
buttons, or have to remember a lot of technical details each time you
turn it on, you're not going to use it (correctly).

Reliability is high,
given the field testing done with it. You don't want to be hiking
along, thinking that your messages have been sent, when they have not
been.

At the time of this writing, there is no annual activation fee, meaning you can customize your usage to your hiking schedule.

It uses the top satellite network available, Iridium.

You can blast off an SOS message.

You can text with the folks back home without relying upon sketchy cell phone coverage (satellites, right?).

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